You Read My Mind
by Attenia
Summary: Merlin is an expert at keeping secrets by now. Arthur has no idea Merlin has magic. He also has no idea that Merlin has been madly in love with him for years. When Arthur gets hit with a spell that lets him read Merlin's mind, that complicates things a bit. Merthur. Happy ending.


"Merlin!"

"Coming," Merlin grumbles. He hoists the armour more securely into his arms and starts trudging up the steps. He tries to put on a smile. Arthur has been asking him what's wrong recently. Merlin just shrugs, but Arthur won't leave it be. It's easier to pretend.

How can Merlin tell Arthur that he's been in love with him for years, and it's getting harder every day? Harder to touch Arthur, to wake him up, to bring him food… being so close to the unattainable is driving Merlin crazy.

As Arthur calls again, Merlin speeds up. Something about the way Arthur is shouting is off. There's a note of panic in his voice.

The armour goes tumbling down and Merlin runs up the remainder of the staircase. Arthur's room is in disarray – even more disarray than usual, that is – and Arthur is picking himself up shakily from the floor.

"Arthur! What happened?" _Oh God, please let him be alright. He has to be alright…_

Merlin rushes to him and pulls his king up, his heart in his throat. His eyes scan Arthur's perfect body for any injury, but he doesn't see anything. Arthur is talking, but Merlin is too panicked to take in any of his words. He circles Arthur, checking for any sign of anything being wrong. If he's hurt badly and Merlin needs to use magic to heal him… well, maybe he can find some way to knock Arthur out before he does it.

Arthur jerks away from Merlin as though he's been burned. "What's wrong?" Merlin demands. "Where does it hurt?"

Arthur is staring at Merlin as though he's never seen him before. "Merlin?" he whispers.

Merlin frantically searches his gaze. "Yes, I'm here." He can't help it when his eyes are drawn to Arthur's lips. They're pink and chapped and for a moment Merlin can't think of anything except how much he wants to kiss them.

Arthur makes an odd choking sound, and Merlin wrenches himself forcefully from his fantasy.

"What happened?" he asks again, slightly calmer now that he sees Arthur doesn't appear to be hurt.

"It was a sorcerer," Arthur says, still looking at Merlin very strangely.

"But you don't hunt sorcerers anymore," Merlin says reasonably. "He'd have no reason to hurt you."

Arthur hasn't officially repealed the ban on magic, and people still don't exactly use it in front of him, but ever since he became king Arthur has been turning a blind eye to magic being used in Camelot.

"He said that's why," Arthur says, still looking dazed. "He said the kingdom has been at peace since I became king, that magic users no longer have to fear for their lives. He said he was giving me a gift. I don't remember much after that…"

Merlin resumes his inspection of Arthur, forcing himself to be matter of fact about it and not linger on the feel of Arthur's skin, or the smell of his hair…

"Does anything hurt?"

"No," Arthur says slowly.

"You had better not be lying or playing tough about something," Merlin mutters, absentmindedly sending a thread of magic through Arthur, checking for any injuries.

Arthur gasps and straightens up abruptly.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No," Arthur gasps, his back to Merlin. "Um – get my armour ready. I need to go to training."

"You're not going to training!" Merlin protests. "I'm going to call Gaius to check you out and you're spending the rest of the day in bed."

_Please just do it your stupid prat,_ he begs silently. _I can't bear it if you get hurt. If something is wrong and I don't pick it up…_

Arthur opens his mouth, then closes it again, seemingly at a loss for words, he sits back down on the bed.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok, Arthur?" Merlin asks, putting his hand to the king's forehead. Arthur never listens to him, ever. No matter how Merlin tries to protect him, Arthur ignores him, dismisses him, never takes his own safety into consideration, without a thought to how everyone else would be affected by his death. How Merlin would be affected by his death. Merlin's breath catches in his throat. Arthur has been near death too many times; the memories still haunt Merlin's nightmares.

Many times, he has woken up in a cold sweat, sure Arthur has been taken away from him this time. What he wouldn't give to have Arthur hold him and comfort him then…

Arthur's eyes are bugging out in his head.

"What is it?" Merlin demands. "Did that sorcerer put a crazy spell on you? Why are you acting so strange?"

"It's nothing," Arthur says, his voice slightly hoarse. "Just clean my armour – for training tomorrow, if you won't let me go today."

Completely bewildered, though not unhappy with Arthur's sudden compliance, Merlin sits on the floor and starts polishing, as soon as he's sent a servant to fetch Gaius. He wishes Arthur would send him to the armoury – there he could just do it by magic with no one watching. But he'll never leave Arthur's side unless he has to. As masochistic as it is, Merlin treasures any time with his king, no matter how painful.

He glances up at Arthur, hoping to see him resting, but Arthur is watching him with the strangest expression on his face. It's fond, almost… tender.

Merlin wants to hit himself on the forehead. He really does like to torture himself. He moves his eyes firmly back to Arthur's armour. Still, he can't help sneaking glances every few minutes. Arthur is lying with his eyes closed, and Merlin allows himself the indulgence of imagining what it would be like to crawl onto the bed and kiss him. He imagines the feel of Arthur's body against his, of how their lips would move together.

The armour does a good job of hiding his erection, but Merlin still jumps when Arthur abruptly turns over onto his stomach. There's something very strange about him, but Merlin can't quite put his finger on it.

Finally, Gaius comes in to examine Arthur. He doesn't stay long; it is apparent that Arthur is in perfect health. Gaius tells Arthur to call him immediately if he starts feeling anything strange, and recommends that he stay in bed and rest for the day.

Merlin glances up when he sees Arthur getting out of bed.

"You're supposed to stay there," Merlin says, ready to do his best to wrestle Arthur back in. Arthur ignores him and strides briskly over to Merlin. He takes Merlin's hands in a surprisingly gentle gesture and pulls him to his feet.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks softly.

"W – what?" Merlin stammers. How could he know? What does he know?

"Everything," Arthur murmurs. "All these years, Merlin, I thought I was the only one. I never guessed that you would feel…"

"What? What do you mean?"

Arthur doesn't answer. Instead, he presses his lips to Merlin's, and then Merlin doesn't care that he's confused and afraid about what Arthur knows. He doesn't care about anything much except that Arthur keeps kissing him.

He moans as his arms automatically snake up to grip Arthur's hair at the base of his neck, pulling him closer. One of Arthur's legs comes up between Merlin's and Merlin pants raggedly as he presses his erection frantically against Arthur's knee.

"Oh," he gasps, clinging to Arthur for support, sure his legs are about to give way any second.

Arthur scoops him off his feet and carries him to the bed. Merlin tugs at his hair, trying to get contact back, desperate to touch, to feel, terrified that this dream will be taken away at any moment.

Wait.

Merlin gasps and jerks back. Arthur's eyes bore into him, his pupils huge. "This is what the sorcerer did to you, isn't it?" he asks, trying mightily to hold back tears. Of course Arthur doesn't really feel that way about him, it's just a spell. Just a spell…

"No, Merlin you idiot," Arthur says, grabbing Merlin's hand before he can back away. "The sorcerer gave me the ability to read minds."

Merlin gapes at Arthur.

"No, it's not a joke," Arthur says. "And yes, I know how you feel about me – I've felt that way for years, you clotpole. And yes, I know about the magic – when were you planning to tell me about that, by the way?"

"I – aren't – aren't you mad?"

Arthur rolls his eyes. "Of course I'm mad, Merlin! You've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do, but more than I'm mad with you, I'm mad about you. I'm fucking in love with you, and I have been since I first met you, now will you just shut up and kiss me?"

There is only one response to that. With a small moan of longing, Merlin throws himself so enthusiastically at Arthur that he is thrown onto his back with Merlin on top of him. Merlin presses himself against Arthur's feverishly hot body, but he knows now that Arthur isn't sick. His head is still spinning with everything that's happening, but right now, nothing is as important as getting the laces to Arthur's breeches untied.

"I'd like that," Arthur murmurs in response to Merlin's thought.

Merlin looks up. "You really can read my mind?"

"Of course I can. You certainly didn't give me any hint of your feelings all these years; how else would I know now?"

Merlin chooses to ignore the question as his greedy hands encircle Arthur's cock. He wants to go slowly, to enjoy it, but he can't stop the urgency building inside of him. Merlin's cock is painful in his breeches, but he ignores it as his lips lap at the head of Arthur's.

Arthur shudders and moans Merlin's name. Before he can take Arthur fully into his mouth, Arthur is tugging Merlin's feet around, working at the ties to Merlin's breeches, making Merlin squirm against him, desperate for pressure on his aching cock.

He thrusts forward desperately, grunting as helpless pleasure overwhelms him. Even as Arthur continues his attentions to Merlin, Merlin takes his one chance to act on his biggest fantasy. He slips his lips over Arthur's cock, taking him in as deep as he can. Arthur's back arches and he yells something inarticulate.

Merlin sucks and licks, so turned on he thinks his cock may just explode. He jumps when Arthur's hand closes around it, his other hand on Merlin's back. They work up a messy, irregular rhythm; it's fast and sloppy, but so perfect. Merlin knows he isn't going to last long.

His fingers clench on Arthur's thighs as his whole body spasms with the force of his orgasm. Even as he is riding out the aftershocks, Arthur is coming into his mouth, nearly gagging Merlin by thrusting forward, but Merlin doesn't care.

He rides the wave of pleasure right to the end until he collapses bonelessly on top of Arthur, gasping for breath. He slowly claws his way up to Arthur's head and kisses him slowly, lazily. Arthur's arm comes around Merlin's shoulders and hangs there heavily while Arthur catches his breath.

"Stop that," Arthur says, sounding annoyed.

"Stop what?"

"Stop thinking that I'm about to change my mind and kick you out. Stop thinking this isn't going to happen again. Believe me, Merlin, I see a lot of this in our future."

Merlin raises his eyes hesitantly to Arthur's, to see a wicked grin.

"I love you," Arthur says clearly. "And you love me. And nothing is going to change that. Understand?"

"I understand," Merlin whispers, feeling tears behind his eyes. He never thought this day would come. "I love you, Arthur."

Arthur presses a chaste kiss to his lips. "I know, remember?"

Merlin sighs in pure contentment and lies back, safe in Arthur's arms.

"I will," Arthur says, answering Merlin's thought. You'll be moving in here with me, of course. And if you have nightmares, I'll be here for you."

Merlin nods, too happy to speak, fearing to break the perfect moment.

"You know," Arthur says conversationally, "sometime you need to tell me about all the times you've saved my life."

"You won't like it," Merlin warns.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a humungous clotpole who wouldn't last a day without my magic."

"True," Arthur chuckles. "And Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"When we do this again – and we will do it again – I'd like to see some magic. Can you do that? Use magic to… I don't know, whatever you want to do?"

A smile is already creeping onto Merlin's face as he imagines the possibilities. He glances at Arthur to see Arthur's pupils have gotten huge again, hearing Merlin's thoughts.

"You like that idea, do you?" Merlin smirks. Without waiting for an answer, his eyes flash gold and Arthur's wrists are tied to the headboard.

"That's so hot," Arthur gasps, watching the gold fade from Merlin's eyes. "Come here."

Merlin smiles as he crawls on top of Arthur's chest. "With pleasure."


End file.
